MUSLIM WOMEN GOING TO COLLEGE

The one and only purpose for which Allah has created us and sent us here for a temporary stay on earth is for His Ibaadat. The Quran states: “I have not created jinn and man, but that they render Ibaadat to Me”.

There are many categories of Ibaadat. All aspects of a Muslim’s life must operate within the borders of the Ibaadat that Allah has created for him/her. This Divine Ibaadat regulates the entire life of a Muslim. Since the purpose of the creation of mankind and jinnkind is to worship Allah the Almighty, and since our stay here on earth is but for a short while, it is only intelligent that we do not lose sight of the onward journey, the goal of which will be Jannat where the total and perfect victory and prosperity will be attained. Hazrat Usman (ra) said in this
regard: “Verily, Allah Ta’ala awarded the dunyan to you so that you may search for Aakhirat by means of it. Allah Ta’ala did not give the world to you so that you incline towards it. Verily, the world will perish and the Aakhirat will endure forever. Therefore, do not let this world that will perish one day, reduce you to transgression nor permit it to divert your attention from the everlasting abode. So give priority to the everlasting over the perishable”.

The dunya is the means of attaining the Aakhirat, the success and prosperity of Jannat. It is not the end of our life. It is not the purpose of our life. It is only the vehicle that will transport us to the next phase of our march to Jannat. Therefore we should not put all of our energies and efforts into trying to achieve perfection in our material life of this world.

Since the dunyaa is not our end and goal, we are required to take from it only that much which is necessary for our stay here and take from it only that much which will be beneficial in our attainment of Jannat.

The Shariat has assigned the development of the home unit, the internal affairs of the home to woman. This is her primary function. It is of the utmost importance that she guards and protects that fortress, for she has been appointed by Allah Ta’ala to be in charge of that part of society which is a vital aspect of Divine Ibaadat for which we all have been created and sent here. Any weakness, fault, or defect in this area (i.e. the Muslim home) will also bring about a weakening of the entire Islamic social structure.

Nowadays we are witnessing this very thing happen throughout the Muslim world. A healthy social structure can only be achieved when it operates under the limits and commands of the Shariah. The part of the Shariah that
relates to the home life is left in charge of the Muslim woman. The success of an Islamic home life depends on the Muslim woman discharging her role of ibaadat. Any interference in this divinely assigned role will be unlawful. Any act or activity which diverts her attention from the carrying out her primary function of developing her home along the pattern commanded by Allah Ta’ala will be un-Islamic.

Now we have to look and see if by going to a secular college or university, would it help or hurt the divinely assigned role of woman. That very important role which is necessary for our journey from this temporary world to our homeland, Jannat. Worldly education is pursued for purposes of livelihood, attaining good and high-placed employment which promises high salaries and position in worldly society. Looking at worldly education from this purpose, it is totally unnecessary for Muslim girls to pursue such education. This is true even if the chasing after this type of education did not involve any conflict with any of the principles, teachings and commands of Islam. But in reality pursuit of Western education in the secular colleges of today both in the west as well as in Muslim countries are littered with dangers which are most destructive to Imaan and Hayaa. Allah Ta’ala has not assigned the role of earning a livelihood to woman. The quran states: “And men have a rank above women”.

The Shariat has made men responsible for the maintenance of women. The duty of earning the livelihood according to the quran is not the obligation of the woman. It is the farz obligation of the husband and the father. Now since earning a livelihood is not her responsibility, it is not at all necessary for her to explore and pursue avenues of livelihood. It says in hadith: “Halaal earning is the compulsory duty after the compulsory duty of Salaat”.

Despite this importance, Islam has not made livelihood obligatory upon women. The obligation of earning has been decreed on men because involvement in this pursuit leaves no time for attending to the affairs of the children and home affairs. Another purpose of acquiring worldly education is not for livelihood, but for the attainment of some fame, glory and position in society. This purpose is un-Islamic. It is haraam for both men and women to pursue worldly education for such a purpose..

The Shariat commands that women do not appear in the presence of even pious and mut-taqi Muslim males. If this is the Divine ruling pertaining to female presence in front of pious Muslim male company, then what do you say about your daughter appearing everyday in front of faasiqs and kuffar, drunkards and fornicators etc.?

Hajj is a duty obligatory upon both men and women. But, in the absence of a mahram it is not lawful for a Muslim female to go for even this great Ibaadat of Hajj.

We see that some forms of Ibaadat that require one to emerge from the house have not been made obligatory for women (for example the five times salaat in the masjid and jehad, etc). This is because emergence from the house by the woman impedes the orderly operation of the home affairs and it destroys the natural hayaa of women. This is a choice that Allah has made that the man will do much of his ibaadat outside of the home and the woman inside.
So what does Islam think about female emergence from the home to pursue worldly education for which means the destruction of her hayaa and leads her towards immorality?

The modern woman, the product of secular institution of “learning” has become a stranger to the home, for she has been schooled to detest the role which Allah Ta’ala has suited and equipped her for. She thus detests children and regards her natural role of rearing children as a detestable burden. This is your daughter the modern woman, the graduate of secular colleges, universities and other institutions of “learning”.

PARENTS THE ENEMIES OF THEIR DAUGHTERS

Parents in their ignorance, labor under the notion that they are rendering a great service to their daughters by sending them to schools and colleges. But, in fact, they are the number one enemies of their daughters. In sending their daughters to secular institutions, parents are destroying the Akhirat of their daughters even though they think they are really only trying to benefit their daughters. In sending their daughters to colleges and universities, parents are digging the grave of the iman of their daughters.

There is absolutely no doubt in the fact that schools and colleges eliminate the Hayaa of women. The danger of the elimination of their iman is thus grave and real. Are parents then to be considered the friends or enemies of their daughters? Allah Tal’ala commands parents in the quran: “Save yourselves and your families from the Fire”.

Are parents saving their daughters from Jahannum by sending them to schools and universities? On the contrary, they are hastening the headlong plunge of their daughters into Jahannum. You can save your children from the Fire by guarding and developing their Iman, not by destroying their iman in the guardianship of Kuffaar tutors and faasiq instructors operating on a syllabus impregnated with kufr.

We parents must be aware. We are paving the way for the destruction of our daughters’ iman and akhirat. We will be answerable to Allah Ta’ala, but before having to answer to Allah, most of us parents will witness the spiritual disaster which school and university education will bring upon their daughters.

Hazrat maulana Masihullah (ra) said: I take oath by Allah and say: Give women Deeni education and then see their superiority. You will then witness in them intelligence, understanding and even accomplishment in such worldly affairs which pertain to them. Women who possess degrees of B.A. and M.A. cannot compete in understanding and intelligence with women who have acquired Deeni knowledge. Yes, in deception and schemes the Western educated woman may be ahead. But, remember that words of intelligence will only come from a woman of piety.”